This week on Biotech Nation, Dr. Marianne De Backer, CEO of Vir Biotechnology talks about their Phase 2 clinical trials targeting hepatitis B and D co-infections. Vir's approach uses two drugs: tobevibart (an antibody) and elebsiran (an siRNA). These drugs prevent the virus from entering liver cells and stop it from replicating. Preliminary results are promising, showing a significant reduction in viral RNA and normalization of liver enzyme levels. Dr. De Backer also highlights Vir's efforts in other infectious diseases and future plans.

This week on Biotech Nation, Dr. Neil Kumar, founder and CEO of BridgeBio Pharma. Dr. Kumar emphasizes that genetic diseases, particularly Mendelian diseases caused by single gene mutations, are solvable due to advancements in genetic measurement and understanding. He discusses BridgeBio Pharma's innovative corporate structure, which consists of multiple specialized companies under a centralized infrastructure to efficiently tackle various genetic diseases. This model allows for focused expertise on individual conditions while sharing common resources. Dr. Kumar highlights the company's commitment to using diverse therapeutic modalities, such as small molecules and gene therapies, to develop treatments that address the underlying causes of these diseases.

What’s next after Ozempic and Wegovy and the like? How about a drug in development which releases all the relevant hormones, and not just GLP-1. And doesn’t require injecting. Dr. Steffen-Sebastian Bolz from Aphaia (ah-phi-ah) Pharma explains their approach, currently in Phase 2.

This week on BioTech Nation, Dr. Sam Blackman, Founder and Head of Research and Development from Day One Biopharmaceuticals, shares the story behind the FDA approval of a groundbreaking drug for the most common childhood brain cancer. He talks about their innovative approach to starting a biopharma company and how it led to a newly FDA approved drug that treats the most common form of brain cancer in children

This week we have a best of rerun with Dr. Mark Sumeray from Amolyt Pharma. Dr. Sumeray talks about their innovative approach to treating hormonal conditions. We’ll talk about two – when your parathyroid has been injured or removed, often during thyroid surgery, and another – when the pituitary starts overproducing growth hormone.

This week Dr. Daniel Kraft, Tech Nation Health Chief Correspondent, discusses advanced health tech. Dr. Kraft highlights his use of wearables like the Apple Watch, Oura ring, and non-invasive blood pressure monitors. He also introduces "otherables," which track health without being worn, using devices like cameras and modified WiFi. These technologies enable continuous health monitoring and personalized care.

This week on BioTech Nation, Dr. Moira Gunn and Dr. Daniel Kraft discuss how robotics, AI, and virtual reality are transforming surgery. These technologies make procedures less invasive and improve training and outcomes worldwide. Future advancements may include tiny robots performing internal procedures. Security is crucial to prevent hacking of medical devices.

Dr. John Scarlett, President and CEO of Geron Corporation talks about their drug Imetelstat for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). MDS patients often require frequent blood transfusions, impacting their quality of life. Imetelstat, a telomerase inhibitor, aims to reduce transfusion dependence by targeting cancer cells in the bone marrow. Phase three trials showed promising results, with 40% of patients experiencing at least an 8-week transfusion-free interval.